Three tips for Champions Day at Ascot

Qatar-sponsored British Champions Day at Ascot tomorrow offers a feast of top-class racing on its seven-race card. Significantly, too, it looks certain, even with some morning rain today, to be staged on untypically quick ground which means horses that excel on soft or heavy ground are going to be inconvenienced.

For years, this has been the one major flat meeting of the year where cut in the ground was almost guaranteed but, after our dry summer and autumn, not tomorrow. This is also a meeting at which there have been plenty of shock results, never more so than a year ago when Powerful Glory won the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at 200-1 and Cicero’s Gift won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at 100-1.

For years, this has been the one major flat meeting of the year where cut in the ground was almost guaranteed

Caballo De Mar, fresh from causing a shock of his own by beating long-odds-on favourite Scandinavia at Longchamp, is going to be hard to beat in the Group 1 Qatar Racing British Champions Long Distance Cup (1.30 p.m.). However, a good run is dependent on him keeping his form after a long season and a tough race less than two weeks ago.

I am reluctant to desert two horses in the race who have won for this column at double-figure odds in recent weeks: Daiquiri Bay and Highwayman. However, at the odds I am going to back OPPORTUNITY, even though Wathnan Racing’s stable jockey, James Doyle, prefers to ride the John and Thady Gosden-trained Gregory.

Opportunity was beaten half a length into third by Daiquiri Bay in the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap at York in August, but he was conceding 5 lbs to the winner. The two horses will meet at level weights tomorrow and Opportunity will probably be better suited by the quicker ground than his rival. Back Opportunity 1 point each way at 12-1 with bet365, paying three places.

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I am happy to take on Kalpana at a short price in the Qatar Racing British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (2.40 p.m.) because she has not been at her very best in either of her last two runs and she, too, has had a long, hard season.

I prefer the chances of a lightly-raced filly who, although three years old, has only run four times. There was plenty to like about LILT’s second in a Group 2 race at the Curragh last month after a three-month break from the racetrack and tomorrow’s contest looks to have been the target of the William Haggas-trained horse for some time. Back her 1 point win at 7-1 with bet365, Sky Bet or Paddy Power, all paying four places.

Finally, I am going to put up another William Haggas-trained horse as my second bet in the Balmoral Handicap (4.35 p.m.). I say ‘second’ bet because I tipped EBT’s Guard each way at 33-1 for this race a week ago. EBT’s Guard is now 14-1 or less.

I had hoped for double-figure odds on SCOVILLE but every man and his dog has tipped the horse this week and, after getting a potentially favourable draw in stall 23, he is now vying for favouritism.

After a big run from a poor draw at Royal Ascot, I tipped Scoville for the Coral Golden Mile at Glorious Goodwood but another poor draw, a wide run and front-running tactics saw him fade out of contention.

However, Scoville won comfortably at Doncaster last month after connections employed hold-up tactics. Hopefully, those tactics will be used once more tomorrow when the four-year-old gelding is again partnered by Tom Marquand. With double-figure odds long gone, back him 2 points win at 5-1 with Ladbrokes or Coral.

If the ground conditions had been soft tomorrow, I would have put up two Ed Walker-trained horses: Almaqam for the Group 1 Qatar Racing Champion Stakes (4 p.m.) and Ten Bob Tony for the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (3.20 p.m.). Either or both horses could still win but with the likely quick ground I can’t bring myself to back them. It’s hard enough to win these Group 1s even with everything in a horse’s favour, let alone when it does not tick key boxes.

And the shock of the day? I have a hunch that Mitbaahy might just outrun his odds of 50-1 in the Group 1 Qatar Racing British Champions Sprint Stakes (2.05 p.m.). If so, that would round off a remarkable season for jockey Saffie Osborne.

However, as a so-called ‘student of form’, I can’t bring myself to tip a horse when he is so far behind those at the head of the market on official ratings. I am also trying to stop myself from backing in sprint races because they constantly throw up unpredictable results.

So, it’s just the three new suggested bets from me for tomorrow but, as always, with so much fantastic racing on offer, British Champions Day is an occasion to savour whatever the results.

Pending:

1 point each way Opportunity at 12-1 for the Long Distance Cup, paying 1/5^th odds, 3 places.

1 point each way Lilt at 7-1 for the Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, paying 1/5^th odds, 4 places.

2 points win Scoville at 5-1 for the Balmoral Handicap.

1 point each way EBT’s Guard at 33-1 for the Balmoral Handicap, paying ¼ odds, 4 places.

Last weekend: – 8 points.

1 point each way Dark Thirty at 22-1 for the Sky Bet Sprint Trophy, paying 1/5^th odds, 6 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.

1 point each way Premiere Ligne at 28-1 for the Godolphin Cesarewitch, paying 1/5^th odds, 6 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.

1 point each way Mountain Road at 11-1 for the Godolphin Cesarewitch, paying 1/5^th odds, 6 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.

1 point each way Gooloogong at 33-1 for the Godolphin Cesarewitch, paying ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.

2026 flat season running total: + 18.384 points.

2025-26 jumps season: – 57.785 points on all tips.